Pixel devices have always reflected Google’s vision for Android, serving as a platform to showcase the company’s apps and technological advances. In the current era, this vision is deeply intertwined with Google’s consumer AI suite. The company aims for Pixel owners to integrate Google AI into every aspect of their daily lives through these new devices.
While many discuss AI as a paradigm shift, companies understand that the most effective way to reach consumers is still through their phones. Google wants people to believe its phones and their AI tools are the best, even hiring Jimmy Fallon to promote them.
In terms of hardware, the Pixel lineup did not undergo drastic changes this year. The most notable update was the base Pixel 10 model receiving a telephoto camera. The other significant addition was PixelSnap, Google’s version of MagSafe with Qi2 charging, which unlocks a range of accessories like chargers and stands.
I have been using the Pixel 10 Pro for the last few days. This device features a new, brighter screen, more RAM, and a pro camera. The company’s announcement heavily emphasized the new Tensor G5 chip, which is now made by TSMC instead of Samsung. Google touted the new chip’s improved AI performance and its ability to run the latest Gemini Nano model. A faithful review of its performance will require more than a few days of use.
Google’s software features have long been a mainstay of Pixel phones, but with AI, that focus becomes even more prominent.
All companies pack their device presentations with mentions of AI technology. However, customers often receive only a partial version of those promises when they first get the device. For example, I have been using an Indian Pixel unit, which means some AI features are not immediately available. Notably, Daily Hub, a feature that shows a summary of your day with content suggestions, and support for conversational edits in Photos are only available in the U.S. at the moment.
Magic Cue is one of this year’s marquee AI features. It contextually surfaces information from one app to another. It is designed to show details like restaurant reservations, flights, or hotel bookings in a relevant context. For instance, if you are talking about lunch with a friend, it could surface lunch recommendations, or it could show flight details when you call an airline.
In tests, Magic Cue showed me a contact detail when I received a text asking for someone’s number. It also showed me suggestions for “Love is Blind” when I opened YouTube based on prior screenshots and messages. Plus, it surfaced a coffee shop recommendation when I opened Maps. However, when I got a text asking if I had ordered cat food, Magic Cue missed the opportunity to add context from a Gmail delivery confirmation.
Currently, the feature works largely across Google apps, including Messages, Gmail, Keep, Calendar, Screenshots, and Contacts. It will be interesting to see how it evolves, if other apps can use it, and how much context it can pull in. This promise sounds similar to what Apple previewed for an AI-enabled Siri in 2024, which has not gone well, as Siri’s update is delayed until at least 2026. So far, Magic Cue seems off to a good start, but only long-term usage will prove its effectiveness.
Call translation is another significant AI feature on the Pixel 10, especially for communicating with people who speak different languages or for international colleagues. Google advertised that the feature retains your voice in the translated language. While that claim largely stands true, language support is limited. A call with a French-speaking friend where I spoke English worked well on both ends. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for a Hindi-English call, as the translation often fell flat, though Hindi support is still in preview.
Gemini Live, which can highlight objects in your video view, was a hit-or-miss upgrade. It successfully identified my Sprigatito toy, told me what spoon to use to measure coffee, and guided me on cleaning AirPods Pro 2. But it misidentified the Pixel 9 Pro XL as a OnePlus phone and suggested the SIM tray was on the left.
Other AI tidbits throughout the system include the ability to add music to your voice recordings, which could be useful for musicians; screenshot and voice transcript sharing to the pre-installed NotebookLM app; and voice editing and writing tools in Gboard.
Pixel’s camera hardware is solid and takes signature, punchy pictures. While there are no very notable hardware changes, Google has added many software updates.
In an age where companies add more AI to phone camera photos, Google is also trying to teach people how to take good photos using a feature called Camera Coach. When using the rear camera, you can tap a sparkly camera icon to activate Camera Coach. It analyzes the frame and suggests options for taking the photo in different styles. When you choose a style, it offers tips on choosing a lens, framing the object, and adjusting your position. Some tips feel generic, but it does provide useful context about framing.
There is also a “Get Inspired” option in Camera Coach which shows generative AI variations of poses and positioning. At times, I saw unrelated suggestions, and other times it suggested uncanny poses or facial expressions for a person.
Super Res Zoom, new to the Pixel 10 Pro, is one of the most impressive camera features. Earlier Pixels offered 30x zoom, but the Pixel 10 Pro goes up to 100x Zoom. The company uses AI models to upscale the photo, and the results can be impressive, allowing you to make out faraway objects. Controversially, this is because AI fills in the details, though the phone stores both AI-processed and original photos. One issue with 100x zoom is the need to keep your hand very steady.
Google is also shipping an updated Portrait mode with the ability to take 50-megapixel images. While the new modes allow higher resolution photos, they do not always get the subject separation right, sometimes blurring part of a person or animal in focus.
The company uses frame-mashing techniques for group photos with the new AI-powered Best Take feature. When you take a group photo, the Pixel captures multiple images and picks the best one where everyone has their eyes open and is looking at the camera. If no single suitable photo exists, it merges multiple images to make everyone look good.
One enjoyable photo mode is action pan, where you focus on a moving object, and the software creates a blur in the background.
So why would you want to buy a Pixel? Maybe you are already a Pixel user with an old phone ready for an upgrade. Maybe you were using an iPhone and want Google’s version of the Android experience. You may have heard about Pixel’s advanced photography and liked what you saw. These are all good reasons to buy a new Pixel.
Although the hardware improvements are incremental year-over-year, like any flagship, you would feel a difference, especially if jumping from a phone more than two years old.
The good part about the Pixel 10 Pro is that you do not miss much if you do not choose the Pixel 10 Pro XL. Apart from screen size and battery life, the XL offers 25W Qi charging, but that is about it. Google has done well to maintain feature and hardware parity in both Pro devices.
What is in contention is the AI part of the phone. The promise of “AI phones” is that your experience will improve over time as the company ships more features. This is why Google includes free AI Pro plans with Pro phones for a year, so you can use more of Google’s AI and feel your phone is better because of it.
But as we learned from Apple’s experience last year, announced AI features might not arrive on time or could feel redundant. Users in different parts of the world will also have different experiences, as some AI features may not be available or may not work as well for their language and locale.
Google is generating a magnificent vision of AI, but not everyone is living in that utopia. Google’s AI is now everywhere in Pixel, but you will not always need it.